Jordan Stolz nearly secured a third Olympic gold medal but settled for silver in the men’s 1,500-meter speedskating race on Thursday. Competing alongside China’s Ning Zhongyan, Stolz narrowly missed out on his historic feat—setting an Olympic record with his final time of 1:42.75, a second behind Zhongyan who clocked in at 1:41.98.
Stolz entered the race as the clear favorite but failed to maintain his lead, demonstrating remarkable skill and speed during the competition’s initial heats. Although he did not top the podium, Stolz celebrated with his silver medal, marking a significant achievement for American athletes. His second-place finish would have made him only the second U.S. athlete in history to earn at least three gold medals across any sport during a single Winter Games.
At just 21 years old, Stolz has already claimed two Olympic golds—winning both the 1,000-meter and 500-meter races this year—and set records in both events. His victory in the former race was particularly noteworthy as it marked America’s first medal for that event since 2010, and his second-place finish in the latter race made him the first American to secure a medal after Eric Heiden, who achieved five golds at the 1980 Winter Games.
Stolz has participated in two Winter Olympics so far. His debut in Beijing saw him place 14th in both the 1,000-meter and 500-meter races. Outside of the Olympics, Stolz holds the world record for the 1,000-meter speed skate and is currently the reigning champion of two World Cup events.
This Saturday, Stolz is set to compete in his fourth and final event at the Milan Cortina Games: the mass start race. His performance in this will determine whether he concludes his Olympic career with a bronze or another historic achievement.